The present invention relates to a method of temperature regulation. In systems where exothermic reactions take place and which operate at a determined temperature or within a determined temperature range (sometimes very much higher than ambient temperature) circumstances sometimes require both that the heat which results from said reactions should be dissipated and that heat should be introduced to the system, in particular to start it up initially and after temporary periods of stoppage.
This is the case in particular with sodium/sulphur electric batteries which require an operating temperature of about 300.degree. C. to 360.degree. C. and in which both the charging and the discharging processes result in the evolution of heat.
It is also the case of lithium/iron sulphide electric batteries in which the operating temperature is substantially 400.degree. to 450.degree. C.
The conventional method therefore consists in introducing external heat to the system to start it up and, vice versa, in dissipating the heat generated by the system during operation so as to keep its temperature at a nominal operating value.
However, the energy balance of such a method turns out to be very poor since it consumes an appreciable fraction of the energy supplied by the battery, whose efficiency is therefore impaired to the same extent.